Method and means for forming and applying ribbon bows



NOV. 28, 1961 5 01 3,010,236

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING AND APPLYING RIBBON BOWS Filed Oct. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 28, 1961 s. H. Dole 3,010,236

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING AND APPLYING RIBBON BOWS Filed Oct. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3 010,236 METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING AND APPLYING RIBBON BOWS Stuart H. Doig, Marengo, Ill. Filed Oct. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 687,905 1 Claim. (Cl. 41-10) This invention relates to the art of wrapping gift packages and more particularly to a novel method and means for applying a formal type bow to such a package.

As is known in the art, a formal type bow is distinguished from a rosette in that the loops of a formal type bow are not in random arrangement but are piled in an orderly fashion so that all of the loops may be bisected by a single plane intersecting the package. Prior art formal bows have rarely been used because of a number of difficulties hereinafter described.

According to prior art practices, a formal type bow has always been made by manually looping a ribbon to form the bow and then securing the loops to each other, as by tying or stapling them to hold the bow in proper form. This practice is not only tedious but requires a great deal of ribbon, the talents of a skillful operator and necessitates great care in applying the bow to the package. Moreover, when the formal bow is formed in the prior art manner, the bow cannot be tied to the package by the ribbon with which the package is wrapped, without deforming the bow and crushing its loops against the package. Also, it has been impossible, according to prior art practices, to form the bow of the same ribbon which ties the package. Moreover packages tied with the bows of the prior art require more space and when shipped the how often becomes deranged.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to enable an unskilled operator to make a formal type bow and to apply it to a package with a minimum amount of ribbon.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity for manual'retention of the ribbon loops in making a formal bow.

A further object of the invention is' to simplify tying of such a bow to the package.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tie for a package which may be shipped fiat and where a formal type bow may be formed without untying or retying the package.

Yet another object of the invention is to devise a novel composite ribbon having a slotted strip and at least one narrower strip slideably fitted in the slots of the slotted strip so that the ends of the latter can be slid toward each other to pile the slotted strip in loops of a formal type bow on the narrower strip which ties the package.

Another object of the invention is to provide a binding fit between the ribbon strips within the slots to hold the loops of the formal bow in proper arrangement.

In one embodiment of the invention only one narrow strip is fitted in the slots and in another embodiment a pair of narrow strips are fitted in the slots with their opposite ends fastened, respectively, to opposite ends of the slotted strip, whereby the formal bow is made by pulling the free ends of the narrow strips which are then used to tie the package.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the narrower strip is stapled to the wider strip in such manner that the staples define the slots.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is' a perspective view of a composite ribbon embodying a preferred form of the invention as applied to a gift package;

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FIGURE 5'is a sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG- URE 3 with the formal type bow partly formed as the ends of the slotted ribbon strip are urged toward each other;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the novel composite ribbon with the formal type bow partly formed;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the slotted ribbon strip;

FIGURE 8 is aperspective view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the modification shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an edge elevational view of the modified composite ribbon;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view on line 1111 of FIG URE 9;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the modified composite ribbon with the formal bow partly formed; and

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURES 6 and 12 but showing another modified form of the invention.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the embodiment of FIGURES l7, it will be seen that the invention comprises a composite ribbon generally designated 2 (FIGURES 2-4) which may be wound in a roll or on a spool in the usual manner for convenience of storage and dispensing.

The novel ribbon 2 comprises a wide strip 4 of ribbon and a narrower strip 6 of the same or similar ribbon material. If desired, the strips 4 and 6 may be of the same or difierent material and color, and frequently it is desirable that one or both of the ribbons be of a cheaper or different material such as, for example, crepe paper or aluminum tape which make an attractive formal bow.

The ribbon strip 4 is formed with a plurality of slots 8 arranged in pairs and preferably triangular in shape with bases of the triangles of each pair facing each other to define a strap or bridge 10'between each pair of slots 8.

The ribbon strip 6 is preferably wide enough to bind slightly in the lateral corners of the slots 8 and is preferably formed of a relatively expensive and strong ribbon material suitable for tying a package as clearly shown in FIGURES l and 2.

Thus the ribbon 2, which may be rolled on a spool (not shown) in the usual manner for dispensing, may be pulled from the spool to release a desired amount of the ribbon for tying a particular package. The strip 6 may, if desired, then be trimmed to the desired length; and after the package has been tied by the strip 6, the ends of the strip 4 may then be pushed toward each other until the strip 4 piles up in loops to define a formal bow 12, as seen in FIGURE 1. The slightly binding fit of the strip 4 in the slots 8 permits sliding of the strip 4 along the strip 6 to produce the formal type bow and frictionally resists any tendency of the strip 4 to slide to its straight line position shown in FIGURE 2.

A modification of the novel composite ribbon is shown at 20 in FIGURES 8-12 wherein the ribbon is shown applied to a gift package 22 to provide a formal bow 24 thereon.

In the modification of FIGURES 8-12, the novel ribbon 20 comprises a wide ribbon strip 26 having pairs of slots 27 also preferably triangular in form and arranged with bases of the triangles of each pair facing each other, so that each pair of slots defines a bridge 28.

A pair of narrower ribbon strips 30 and 32 are slideably mounted in the slots and underlie the ribbon strip V are afforded abinding fit in the lateral edges of the grooves 27 so that the tapered edges of the grooves slideably but frictionally grip the edges of the narrow ribbon strips 30 and 32, although in the modification this feature is not absolutely necessary as hereinafter described.

One end of narrow strip 30 is attached as by a staple 34 to the wide ribbon strip 26 and the opposite end of narrow ribbon strip 32 is attached as by a. staple 35 to the'wider ribbon strip 26, whereby when the free ends of strips 30 and 32 are pulled in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in FIGURES 9, 10, and 12, the

wider ribbon strip 26 is piled into loops of a formal how 24, whereupon the narrow strips 30 and 32 are utilized to tie the package and thereby hold the formal bow in proper shape.

7 It may be noted that the composite ribbon 20 may be rolled on a spool in the usual manner for convenient storage and dispensing. The outer end of the strip 30 is stapled as at 34 to the outer end of the strip 26 on the spool. A desired amount of the compositeribbon is then unwound from the spool and is cut off whereupon the end of ribbon strip 32 remote from staple 34 is stapled at 35 to the strip 26.

The free ends of strips 30 and 32 are then pulled'apart as above described to form the bow 24.

Another modification is shown in FIGURE 13 and is similar to that shown in FIGURE 6 but comprises an arrangement in which the narrow strip 40 is attached by staples 42 to the wider strip 44. The staples are tight enough to afiord a binding but slideable fit for the narrower strip 40 so that the strip 44 may be piled into loops of a formal how after the strip 40 has been used to tie a package.

' The arrangement of FIGURE 13 is particularly advantageous in a composite ribbon wherein the narrow strip '40 is even narrower than in the embodiments previ-v ously described.

Thus it will be understood that the invention comprehends a novel method and means for applying a formal type bow to a gift package. According to the invention, at least one relatively narrow ribbon is slideably fitted within slots of a relatively wide ribbon so that one of the ribbons may be pushed along the other to form loops.

of a formal bow on a package tied by the other ribbon. This not only simplifiesrthe making of the bow but reduces the amount of ribbon requiredto make the bow and afiords a gift package tie wherein the package may be shipped flat and bow formed after arrival without untying or r'etying the package.

While the present invention has. been explained and described with reference 'to specific embodiments of structure, it will be understood, nevertheless, that numerous modifications and variations are susceptible of being incorporated without departure from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended for an understanding of this invention to be limited by the foregoing description nor by the illustrations in the annexed drawings, except as indicated inrthe hereinafter appended claim. I

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

A composite ribbon comprising a flat decorative bow ribbon having a plurality of slots arranged in pairs along its longitudinal length, said slots being triangular in shape, the bases of the triangle of each pair facing each other to define a strap between each pair of slots, a tying ribbon slideably fitted in the slotsof said bow ribbon, said tying ribbon being sufliciently wide to have its lateral edges bind slightly in the lateral corners of said slots so that when the tying ribbon is tied to a package, the opposite ends of said'bow ribbon may he slid toward each other, the said how ribbon being piled in loops to form a formal type bow, said loops being held in proper arrangement by the binding fit between the edges of said tying ribbon and the slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

